How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Puke

Harry here. A lot of drivers are scared of passengers puking in their car but today, RSG contributor W. Curtis Preston explains how to puke-proof your vehicle and make some extra money while you’re at it.

Last year, I made over $1,100 in cleaning fees. When I mentioned that to Harry, he said that might make for an interesting article. A warning, though… if the words puke, vomit, or barf make you gag, stop reading and go read our review of tip boxes or something. You have been warned.

At $1,100 in cleaning fees, that means I increased my take-home pay by over 10% just by being ready for pukers. Whether you are planning on seeking out pukers or just making sure you’re prepared for them when it happens, this article should help.

Note: some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning if you purchase one of the items we suggest, we get a small percentage of the sale. This is at no extra cost to you and helps keep RSG running. Thank you in advance!

Before We Get Started – Cleaning Fees 101

Uber and Lyft’s cleaning fees are meant to reflect the cost of cleaning. They are not meant to be punitive, nor are they meant to reflect the cost of downtime caused by the incident. They only exist to compensate you for the cost of cleaning.

My personal opinion is that if I do the cleaning myself, I should still be compensated the same amount. Curtis the Uber driver is being given a cleaning fee so that he can pay Curtis the car cleaner the cost of cleaning the car.

If I can just run my hand across the seat and sweep off a little dirt or even a few crumbs, I don’t say the sky is falling and ask for a cleaning fee. But if I have to open my trunk and get out my cleaning supplies, then yes. I cleaned. The cleaning fee applies. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

That said, I allow people to eat in my car. But if you eat in my car and make a mess I have to clean up? You’re getting a cleaning fee. I don’t warn them. I assume they’re adults who understand not to trash someone else’s property. If they see they’ve made a mess and clean it up themselves, no problem. If not, I’m taking pics and sending them in.

Cleanings fees range from $25 – $150. The worse it looks, the more you get. So don’t clean up anything until you take photos. For example, I made the mistake once of pulling out my removable rubber floor mats and taking a picture of it outside my car. Even though there was quite a lot there, my cleaning fee was less. I believe it’s because Uber could see that I had removed it from my car, and it was therefore super easy to clean up.

Here are a few examples of cleaning fees I’ve received:

Full on puke: $150.

Chocolate on the seat from a guy who ate a candy bar while drunk: $50.

Guy who spilled his “dip” cup in my car and on the door (yuck!): $80.

Drunk girl who ate two Taco Bell meals in under two miles and sounded like a ravenous dog: $30.

You get one chance at this. Uber and Lyft rarely increase the cleaning fee after they have decided what it should be. Once you submit your photos and they have decided on your fee, that’s it.

In my first incident, for example, I didn’t notice a significant amount of vomit in my door jam. It was actually the most voluminous part of what happened and could have possibly increased my fee. But I didn’t see it until the next day because I was not thorough enough.

This means take your photos quickly, take a lot of them, and be very thorough. Digital photos are basically free, so get somewhere with good lighting and really look around. Look on the floor, the seatbacks, the seatback pockets, the door panels, the ceiling, the door jams, the window and the opening the window goes into. Be extremely thorough. You don’t want to miss out on part of the picture in your report, and you don’t want find dried puke tomorrow.

Do not let passengers puke out your window. If they start to do that, either pull over or give them a bag. Why is that, you ask? I have read of other Uber drivers who have had passengers that puke down inside their window wells.

Your maximum cleaning fee is $150, and that is not going to get the inside of your window well cleaned. Unless you are mechanically inclined and can do it yourself, you’re going to spend far more than $150 to clean it out. Do not let passengers puke out your window.

NOTE: If you want to avoid people from the drunk crowd leaving a “mess” in your car, the most guaranteed way to do so is to switch over to a delivery company like Caviar during the party hours. The burrito you deliver won’t be annoying or throw-up in your car and it won’t judge your taste in music 😉

You do not have to submit a cleaning receipt even though it asks for one. I never have. I just submit the pictures immediately and let them be the judge. The only exception to this is if a passenger does more damage than $150 would fix. That’s a different situation.

If you’re going to drive during the witching hour, I think you should pick up drunks. One strategy I’ve seen other drivers do is to cancel the ride when they see that their upcoming passenger is severely intoxicated. They literally cancel and drive off. If that’s you, then please stop driving during the bar hours.

Drunks are part of the gig. This is a job, but it’s also a public service. People need to know that if they call for a rideshare, it’s going to show up, and if it shows up and they’re drunk, it’s not going to cancel on them. So if that’s how you drive, please go home at 11 o’clock.

Let’s put you in the mind of the drunk for a moment. Before a drunk gets in your car, they’ve probably been doing all they can to keep it together. They’ve had to walk when their body says they can’t. They’ve had to use the rideshare app when they can barely see straight.

They might have had to avoid the police. In fact, I actually had the police physically put a drunk in my car once, saying “either drive her home or she’s getting arrested.” The drunk’s mind has been telling them, “if I can just get to my Uber/Lyft, I’ll be fine.”

Once they are in your car, they feel safe now because they’re in your hands. The problem is that now their adrenaline goes away, and their body sort of lets down its defenses. They don’t know that is going to happen, but you should know that. They are not in their right mind, and you have to help them out a little bit. It’s part of the gig, and it’s part defending your car against puke.

The other problem is that everyone sees puking as defeat and they also know that puking equals a cleaning fee, so everyone’s trying to fight it. So they don’t want to take the barf bag. They’ll tell you they don’t need the barf bag. That is, until it’s too late.

With 100% certainly I can say the following: if you are drunk enough to need a barf bag, you are too drunk to properly use a barf bag. Don’t be mad at them, and definitely don’t express that anger to them verbally. Just take them home, take your pictures, report the incident, and move on.

Things Every Driver Should Have

The first thing I did as a driver was to purchase 30 emesis bags for $12. I know some people use lunch bags or Ziploc bags, but that idea scares me. I think every driver should at least have these bags. They have a nice hard round plastic ring to make it easy to hold on to when you’re drunk and give you a better chance of being successful at its purpose.

I also bought some Nitrile exam gloves on Amazon. They are about $10 for 100 gloves and take up almost no space. I also carry around a water bottle containing soapy water and some type of cloth or scrub brush for actually cleaning the mess up. Something else I picked up from a video was to carry around a plastic bag to put your yucky cleaning cloth in, so you don’t have to smell it after you used it.

Being Uber-Prepared

If you really want to be ready for pukers, you need to puke-proof your surfaces. I have cloth seats and carpet floors. That’s as bad as it can get if you want to be prepared for puke.

If you already have vinyl or leather upholstery, you’re a lot better off than most. I have cloth, so I took a look around and read a lot of reviews about custom seat covers. I settled on these from CoverKing that were about $450 to cover front and back seats with fake leather. I probably could’ve gone with just the rear seats, but I also wanted to protect my upholstery from the hundreds of butts that were going to get on it whether they were puking or not. I installed them myself, and it was relatively simple to do. I’d say it took about one hour per row.

Then I bought this 3D MAXpider custom all-weather floor mats specifically designed for my Prius. They literally pop right in and are designed so that they don’t move around at all. I really like the back row because it is one continuous piece. That’s perfect for puke protection.

The Witching Hour

I pretty much assume everybody after about 8:30 p.m. is at least partially drunk. Most of them don’t need a barf bag, of course. But a few have surprised me over the years, so I’ve made a policy of doing the same thing the moment I smell or sense alcohol is a factor. If you do it right, you accomplish the goal without making anyone uncomfortable.

If you smell or suspect alcohol, immediately tell them where the barf bags are. This is what I do. I suggest in a funny way that it looks like they might have been drinking. “Have you guys been drinking?” I then tell them that I’m sure you don’t need it, but here are my barf bags. I don’t just say I have them, I physically reach my hand behind the seat and touch the bags.

90% of my pukers have been women, and they are almost always in groups of two or more. There always seems to be drunk girl and drunker girl. Enlist the help of drunk girl to make sure that drunker girl actually has the barf bag in her hand. Drunker girl isn’t listening to you, so talk to drunk girl. Warn drunk girl about the cleaning fee and tell her to make sure that drunker girl actually has the barf bag in her hand.

If it starts to happen, I do not pull over unless they ask me to. I just keep going on my way to the destination. I’ve puke-proofed my car and they have a barf bag in their hand. I just need to get them home as quickly as possible. Pulling over means sitting there for several minutes while they puke on the roadside. Meanwhile, many surge-time fares are going bye-bye.

Take note of the passenger’s name as it will be helpful later.

Drop them off at their requested destination. Do not physically help them out of the car. Harry has a great video about that if you’re curious about that situation.

Get the heck out of Dodge. Get away from them as quickly as possible and get to a well-lit area where you can examine the damage. A good flashlight is nice, but my experiences nothing beats the full illumination of a gas station. Examine everything.

Take more photos than you think you need. Take pictures of the damage from multiple angles. Like a good crime scene photographer, do not change the scene.

Report the incident right away. (Details on how to do that are below.) Both Uber and Lyft require you to report it within 24 hours, but I report it right away. It takes a couple of minutes and it makes sure you don’t forget that deadline.

Don’t drive anymore that night on the rideshare service that the passenger used. The reason for this is that if you tell Uber a passenger made a huge mess in my car and then immediately start driving five minutes later because you could clean it yourself, Uber is going to look at that and wonder how bad the mess could actually be. This will reduce your cleaning fee. Go offline with Uber and drive Lyft for the rest of the evening. This is one more reason to drive for multiple services.

Clean the mess up as quickly as possible. Know the gas stations in your area that have those wet-vacs and use them immediately. That will get the bulk of the mess out of your car. Then use your gloves, soapy water, and cleaning cloth to get the rest.

Just because the mess is gone doesn’t mean the smell is gone. Air fresheners are your friend. Strongest is Ozone.

How to Report a Mess in Your Car with Uber

Once you’ve taken the photos, this takes just a few minutes. Find the appropriate trip in your trip history, then click Help on that trip. Go to Earnings, Trip History, and select the appropriate trip.

Review the trip to make sure you have the right rider.

Click on Help at the bottom of the trip summary. Then click on Rider Feedback, Fare Adjustment: request a cleaning fee. Put as many details as you can in there about what happened. Include at least three photos. (I use the receipt photo as one of the photos.) It helps if you can put the passenger’s name here. Then click Submit.

If you have more three photos that will help, just to go Help and reply to the ticket, adding the other photos. To do this, go to Account, Help, Support Messages, and select the message and reply.

How to Report a Mess in Your Car with Lyft

Lyft is the opposite of Uber. (Surprise!) You select Help, then tell it you have damage. Go to the main menu and select Help. Change the subject to Damage Fee. Do not select any of the pink suggestions that show up, as they will just take you to the FAQs about that topic.

Select Driver, then Issue with a Ride, then select which ride was the problem. Then select A Passenger Caused Damage to My Car.

Fill in details of what happened. Include the passenger’s name if possible.

Upload your photos and click Submit.

Summary

With a little bit of preparation and a little bit of work, you can be ready for the pukers and other people that make a mess in your car. Also, you can turn an uncomfortable situation into some extra profit. Good luck!

Readers, have you ever had a puker or some other mess-maker in your car? How do you protect your car from messy people? Share your best tips in the comments!

-Curtis @ RSG

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W. Curtis Preston is a part-time rideshare driver with over 1,500 rides under his belt. He drives in the San Diego market. Like a lot of people, Preston has a day job and it's as an IT analyst specializing in backup and recovery.

I actually went with seat covers for two reasons. Puke protection and long term wear. I was noticing quite a bit of wear on the fabric from just a few months of driving, so I felt the need to protect against that. I don’t think Scotch Guard would do that.

Jay

> I was noticing quite a bit of wear on the fabric from just a few months of driving, so I felt the need to protect against that. I don’t think Scotch Guard would do that.

Probably not! I will almost certainly buy that vacuum though, a very nice find, thank you!

Clybourn

I do it every 3 months. 3 light coats over 3 days. Never had to test it on puke, but it kept other liquids from soaking in and staining

W. Curtis Preston

Dang it. Harry shortened my full title. I was “Dr. Pukelove: How I learned to stop worrying and love the puke.” Just a little homage.

Kevin B Faaborg

I’m often asked if anyone has puked in my car. Of course they have, since I generally drive until 4:00 AM. I keep a stash of barf bags in the map pocket of my door since most drunks cannot find the barf bag stuck in the back of the front passenger seat. Those are my first line of defense.

I also have rubber mats to replace the factory carpeted mats. Weather Tech makes very nice ones.

If anyone makes a mess, I take pictures immediately. Like the blogger suggests, I take a LOT of pictures. If I have to go home to clean up the mess, I may be done for the night. Fortunately, I have upholstery cleaner, a drill brush, shop vac, and a powered carpet spot cleaner at home and ready for these occasions.

I start with the shop vac to get the big pieces, then use the foam based upholstery cleaner and work it in with the powered drill brush. That’s a round brush that fits into a regular power drill. I can scrub the entire bench bottom in about 10 minutes.

If I have time, I fill the powered spot cleaner’s water tank with hot water and use it to rinse the upholstery cleaner out of the seats. I spray the seat surface with water, then use the suction to pull the foam and water off the fabric. Repeat many times until the spot cleaner is showing only clear liquid in the suction window located in the vacuum head. Leftover detergent shows water spots and can look dingy very quickly. This part of the project can take an hour or more.

Drive around for an hour with the heat on full blast to dry the upholstery.

If I can, I reserve this entire cleaning chore for a Sunday afternoon.

I head for a car wash ASAP if someone pukes on the outside of my car. I buy the protection spray with my automated car wash, but I want to get that crud off the outside of my car before the acid peels the paint.

I keep a roll of paper towels, unscented baby wipes, and a box of barf bags in the back of my SUV.

Experienced Uber drivers will notice when someone is about to puke. I see them putting the window down, fidgeting more than they did when they got into the car, and they rock back and forth. I tell them to close their eyes when we go into a tunnel because the strobe effect of the lights will set them off in a heartbeat. Even street lights will cause someone to puke if they are drunk enough. I give them a barf bag when I start seeing those symptoms. The rider is generally grateful to have one, although I had one adult puker that refused a bag. His dad was in the back seat and reamed the puker a new one for his being so inconsiderate.

Most people are very embarrassed to vomit in public, or in someone’s car. Getting angry accomplishes nothing, but I tell them there will be a cleaning fee and that I need to take pictures before we wipe up anything. I do appreciate those riders that try to help clean up the mess; it’s less that I have to do later.

Having someone puke in your car is the chance you take when you drive the “drunk shift”.

W. Curtis Preston

I’ve had 10 pukers and not one of them has ever even suggested helping to clean up. As I already said, i drive out of there asap to separate myself from them as quickly as possible. I say nothing about the cleaning fee.

Interesting tip about the lights. No tunnels where I live so no problem. Never thought about that.

john

I’m up to 8300 rides and no one has EVER puked in my car and I regularly dive the Fri/Sat late night shift till the bars close so its not like I avoid the drunk crowd!! Sure there were 2 or 3 who puked out the window but a hose takes care of that and I’ve had to pull over probably a dozen+ times for them to get out. The funny thing is the typical puker for me has been the 120lb-ish girl in her 20s who tried to drink like one of the guys but can’t ingest the same amount as her 175lb boyfriend.

I joke that the reason my car has not been sullied is that I simply will not allow it. In reality its partly being lucky but also partly knowing what to look for. I do indeed evaluate whether the late night stumbler might be a projectile-candidate (I had good training in my late teens/early 20s being that drunk person) and the one thing that I absolutely KNOW has helped multiple times is to state very clearly upon their entry into the car “PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ME TO PULL OVER AT ANY TIME, I DON’T MIND”. Some people will be embarrassed to have to admit they need the driver to pull over and will wait until the last second to say they need help BUT by letting them know its ok to ask for help it really disarms any uneasiness and gets them to ask with ample time to react. Many of the times I’ve pulled over to let them out was after I’d made that up front declaration!!

W. Curtis Preston

You’re the unsullied! Sorry, Game of Thrones referene.

I make the same kind of declaration but it’s about the barf bags. I DO mind pulling over. 😉 Peek puking time is also peek surge time and I don’t like burning surge hours sitting there.

Having said all that, it’s been a while since someone puked in my car.

john

LOL, it doesn’t take them long to get it out because their stomachs are anxious to unload!! Its more like a NASCAR pit stop than anything! To each his own but personally I’d rather pull over and let them puke in the weeds that carry their puke bags for the rest of the ride (though I do keep one of those exact puke bags you discussed in the seat pocket on the back of my driver seat, they’re wise to have on hand as well).

I’ve been driving for almost 5 months, and have had 4 people puke in my car.
First incident, there were a bunch of guys, including one who was very very drunk, and had already puked at the bar they were at. He had a garbage bag, and friends attending him, and when he let loose, he got it all in the bag. Sounded lovely. What we didn’t realize is that another friend couldn’t handle it, and also puked, leaving a mess. When we got to the destination, the main passenger said he would accept the cleaning fee. However, another of the passengers had gotten paper towels, and wiped most of the mess up. All that was left was slightly discolored carpets and a horrid smell. Uber doesn’ assess cleaning fees for a smell. Lesson learned.
Second incident was with three young women picked up at a frat party. One of them had to be poured into the back seat, and I knew there’d be trouble. I handed one of the shopping bags I have as barf bags to a friend and said it was in case she threw up. One half block from the destination, and she technicolor yawns all over the floor of my back seat. The main passenger asks if she caught it in the bag, and was replied, none. Big mess all over the place. I got pics, and submitted them, and had my $150 in my account before the end of the next day.
Third Incident, bunch of people picked up from a bar. One mentions he’s not feeling well, and I tell them about the bags stowed in the seat pockets. They comment that I’m prepared for everything, and he gets it out and proceeds to upchuck into it. After the ride the bag is disposed of, and I check carefully to discover there isn’t anything to clean up. I think they gave me a five-star rating for being prepared, too.

One thing that I’ve done, though is get my car detailed to clean up after the two messes. Unfortunately, that’s really expensive, and takes up all, or more of what I get as a cleaning fee. Getting the WeatherTech liner for the back seat is going to cost $95, but will be well worth it. Just trying to have the spare cash for that financial outlay is what’s kept me so far. I’ve already resolved that for future incidents, I’m hiring myself as the cleaner, disgusting as the task is.

Pedro G Velez

Sorry I hit enter too quickly.

Curtis, I have to strongly disagree on your position that hauling around inebriated people is part of the job. I think I’m fair with riders but I do employ a series of tests with the late night calls (and I only drive between 8 pm-2 am):

1. Everyone, EVERYONE, gets a call prior to my arrival. I use the conversation to listen to their voice (slurring, incoherence, etc.) . Also can they tell me where they’re going? Useful, if someone else’s app is being used for the ride.

2. I park a short (50-60 feet) distance from the exact pickup address. This gives me opportunity to observe them walking. Can they walk reasonably straight? Are they holding their stomach? Are their clothes soiled already? How many people are in the group and will they try to overload my car because it’s late?

3. As a male, I would be very leery of transporting a solo drunk female. I did it once and when I look back on that call (2 years+ ago), I shudder when I think of what could have happened. A couple called from their app for their intoxicated female friend. They poured her into my vehicle and then went on their way. The pax, who wore a skirt, sat partially slumped in the back seat with her legs spread open and was asleep/unconscious for most of the ride. When we arrived at her destination, she was unable to locate her home on the dark, poorly-lit street.

No one is going to protect me and my car like I will so Ill use all available tactics to do that.

W. Curtis Preston

You clearly have the opposite opinion. You’re an independent contractor and you can do what you want. My opinion is that it’s part of the gig and that you just need to protect yourself against the various things that can happen when you drive drunk people. (And, as I’ve pointed out, it’s extra income.) “Call that guy an Uber” has become the catch phrase when someone is drunk. If everyone did as you do, it wouldn’t be and I think the industry would suffer as a result. Just a thought.

As to the single female thing… I don’t think I’ve ever transported a solo drunk female in almost a year of driving and about 1500 rides. They always seem to come in pairs of two. But if I did, that’s why I have a camera. And I’d pull that footage and save it. And I think EVERYONE should have a dual-lens camera. My only issue is lighting and I’m working on that right as a separate project.

john

I am decidedly the opposite of Pedro on all 3 of his points and not sure why he even does this after reading his approach but … to each his own!!

W. Curtis Preston

Wait…. you and I agree on something! Yay!

john

Its more that I disagreed with him than it is that I agreed with you!! Besides, even a broken clock is right twice a day (obviously you’re the clock)!

Pedro G Velez

I’m glad that I can bring people together ;-). I hear your points Curtis and I do have a camera, I’d just rather avoid situations if possible. July will be three years driving for me in Northern NJ so not exactly a low volume area. I do the work because I enjoy driving.

Tamera Noll

I don’t work drunk crowd currently only because of my schedrule. Personaly years ago I thought of coming up with a service to pick up drunk.people..The wayI I see it is we are saving lives…much rather they call me than…get raped, hurt, pass out on.the ground, drive….etc.. no not particularly fun…but I feel like I’m.helping ..and more than one person. So drunk..stumbling….bring it. My motto ” I got you”

Bryan Dominguez

I have to go the cheap route and use a $15 seat cover from Target in the back. I currently need to get rubber mats still for front and back. This 2016 prius c didn’t come with any from the Xchange lot.

W. Curtis Preston

Something is better than nothing!

Joe Rand

What happens if you notice a couple of holes in your leather back seats after a night of driving and have no idea who caused them? Can you still get reimbursed?

W. Curtis Preston

Yes and no. I would think you could file a claim with insurance for something like that. But Uber has $1000 deductible and Lyft has $2500 deductible.

Being retired, I only drive part-time. I almost always drive mornings during the weekdays and an occasional Sunday after church. I did drive one evening when my wife and daughter went to Disneyland for the day but it was a weeknight and no serious drunks. Now, I have picked up a few Monday morning folk who were obviously on a weekend bender but they’ve so far managed to contain themselves in my car.

Sajid Mulla

I actually experienced the opposite I took pictures of literal mud all over my car but lyft retluctantly send me 20 dollars after a few weeks after a lot of complaining. I even took pictures of what looked like a blood stain but to them it wasn’t clear enough.

There were a few people that actually quit the platform from what I heard from my passengers since lyft and uber would not cover their mess.

Just the other day a lady came in and slept in my backseat and threw plastic in the ground even if I took pictures I know lyft won’t cover it and if anything they want me to quit seems to be is what is being perpetuated from them.

How both platforms keep passengers is a head-scratcher we all know someone who works for lyft or uber and are friends or relatives of both.

Mr. Postman

Count me as one of those quitters. I had a passenger do something worse than puke in my car. You can guess what it was. Lyft would not fully reimburse me the cleaning fee. I quit but they don’t care. I live in LA. Plenty of drivers willing to work for less than what I was making. But it ended up being a good thing. I drive for Caviar and make the same I was making on Lyft but drive a lot less miles.

W. Curtis Preston

Sounds like a pretty weird situation. I can’t speak to that individual situation because I didn’t see the pics and don’t know the details.

Mr. Postman

You can love the puke. But no one loves the poop. That’s what happened.

Sajid Mulla

I have more rides than you Mr Curtis I hope this same thing doesn’t happen to you. I should no longer need to explain myself.

On a rainy day two days ago I was stuck in the 405 and 5 minutes away turns into 16. I cancelled quite a few because they will cancel on me each time because they cant wait and that adds up to 15 percent. If you have three strikes of 15 percent Lyft will review your account and get rid of you is what I got from an email yesterday. I also didn’t cancel anymore but once I hit the 5-10 mark and was close to there dwelling they cancelled on me.

Also I like to add I specifically said the passengers smell like marijuana and smoke and I still have to drop them off once in my car. Now what I did is in a couple of rides if I feel like you will smell like that I cancelled before you get into my car.

Now is there anything else you want to know about my business. My reasons are varied but it adds up to why Mr. Postman cancelled.

W. Curtis Preston

I only asked for clarification because I didn’t understand your post. No, you don’t have to explain yourself. But if you expect me to understand your problem, you might want to try.

Now that I’ve heard your explanation, I’m glad is wasn’t cherry picking or service dog issues. I do think I’ll stick with “you might want to find another line of work” if you’re going to cancel people that MIGHT smell of marijuana. Where I live that would result in a 75% cancel rate on some nights. 😉

I don’t think Lyft overreacted by letting you know that continually having a 15% cancel rate is bad. (I’m going to go so far as to say it’s HUGE. Mine has never gone over 1%.) What WOULD have been bad would be if they simply took note of it, then just fired you once you did it three weeks in a row. All they did was let you know that 15% is really high, and you might not want to do that again if you expect to continue the relationship.

Your business. Your car. Your decision. All the best.

Sajid Mulla

Well until I do work for Caviar I can say I like the people that work for Lyft and for now continue will continue working there. As soon as I gave them a valid excuse they lol got rid of this black mark. I’ll still work for them pt or until I get tired.

However, I do not fully agree with their policy. As far as ADA policy the dog owners are kind enough to call me saying if I have allergies and I tell them I do and they take another lyft.

Sajid Mulla

I just signed up for caviar after I was reprimanded by lyft today after too many cancellations. If they fixed the GPS and we’re a bit more driver friendly instead of giving me automated replies I wouldnt even considered it I am always loyal to who I work for.

I find it really weird that the customer can cancel at whim without consequences.

W. Curtis Preston

I feel the need to ask why you are cancelling so much. I hardly ever cancel. Usually the only reason people have a high cancellation rate is they are cherry picking. And cherry picking is against the TOS.

Customers do have consequences when they cancel. They get cancellation fees.

Mr. Postman

Not if they cancel before the clock runs out. And most customers know about that now. Drivers are supposed to be independent contractors and should be allowed to cancel if they want to. I doubt Sajid was cancelling an enormous amount. Even a few times is too much for Lyft nowadays. Their driver support has taken a sharp downturn recently.

Sajid Mulla

Thanks bud its exactly like that. I already told them there is certain types of passengers I can’t have because of asthma, and they give them to me anyways. I also feel I don’t need to explain after I did so many rides but they seem not to understand.

W. Curtis Preston

I’m not sure what that means. What type of passenger can you not have because of asthma? I hope you’re not talking about pax w/dogs. Because the ADA specifically states that asthma is not an excuse to not pick up dogs. As to the wrong address, that happens really infrequently AFAICT.

W. Curtis Preston

Yes, you are an independent contractor. You do not have to accept a given ride/contract. But when you “take the contract,” (i.e. accept a ride), you agree to abide by the rules of that contract. And those rules say that if you accept a ride, you should take it. And if you’re repeatedly accepting rides then not actually taking them, something is wrong.

Lyft may be cracking down on cherry picking. I hope they (and Uber) do, as those that do it ruin ridesharing for everyone. It REALLY ruins airport queues.

Mr. Postman

Can you show me exactly where it says that? Because if that were true then cancellations would not be allowed at all. If we physically have the option to cancel after accepting, then we’re not breaking any rule. They’re allowing us to do it. Is there a specific number of cancellations that we’re not allowed to make? If they didn’t make that clear, then it’s completely arbitrary. And even if there is, it doesn’t apply to Sajid’s situation.

W. Curtis Preston

First, a few links:
Lyft’s terms of service specifically state that you may be terminated for falling below what they consider a “cancellation threshold”: https://www.lyft.com/terms

Lyft’s Cancellation Policy states that “Cancellations are a bad experience for all parties, so we recommend using discretion when canceling rides.”

It then lists a few “appropriate reasons” for cancellation, which include emergencies, feeling uncomfortable with a pax, and no-shows.”

From these two official documents we learn:
1. Yes, you are allowed to cancel (which is why the button is there)
2. You need an “appropriate reason” to do so. I infer from this that there are many innapropriate reasons to do so.
3. Do it too many times and your contract will be terminated.

This is the contract you agree to as a contractor. Abide by the contract or have that contract terminated. It’s that simple.

BTW, he didn’t even say he was terminated. He only said he was “reprimanded.” I’m guessing he got an email that said he was cancelling too much.

I can’t speak to Sayid’s situation because he hasn’t given any more details, but I can say that the vast majority of drivers I’ve talked to with high cancellation rates are doing something they’re not supposed to do: cherry picking.

Mr. Postman

So no actual number or percentage is given for what that threshold is. So it’s completely arbitrary and can change depending on the individual who is reviewing it. Sajid said he was cancelling on passengers that trigger his asthma. You assumed it was cherry picking.

W. Curtis Preston

Yup. Completely arbitrary. Both Uber and Lyft are the same way. You can argue that this allows them to be more lenient when they need to be if an exception needs to be made. You can also argue that this allows them to terminate a driver they don’t like for a single cancellation. But the policies are there.

As to Sajid… I again ask HIM what passenger is “triggering asthma.” I did not assume it was cherry picking. I said that’s what I’ve usually found it to be.

I am also curious if this is a service animal issue, because that’s a whole other issue. Uber & Lyft’s position both say you may not refuse a service animal just because you’re allergic/have asthma. I don’t believe this is necessary for Lyft to comply with ADA, but that’s a whole other topic.

But if his asthma is constantly being triggered by just regular human beings, I would politely suggest maybe he needs another line of work — or better medication. Being a Lyft/Uber driver is going to put you in close quarters with a lot of people.

Mr. Postman

Caviar takes good care of drivers. Live support, parking reimbursement, bonuses for difficult deliveries. And you get paid to drive to the restaurant, not just for the delivery.

Sajid Mulla

Thanks buddy you have me sold.

W. Curtis Preston

Maybe the problem is your expectation. I would never think of charging a passenger a cleaning fee for mud. I get mud all the time on a rainy night. It’s part of the job. Why would you charge the pax for that? Get rubber floor mats, dude.

And you really tried to charge a cleaning fee because someone threw trash in your car?

Tamera Noll

Exactly!!! 🙂

Tamera Noll

Seriously? 🙁

Tamera Noll

Hi Curtis! Thanks for extra helpful. Info 🙂 I only.had one pucker…but it was an interesting situation….wait for it…….I’m on my way home…2 nights before New Years …I gst a ping, pull in to.parking lot…2 big Armenians and a lovely women wave at me… I see them talking to someone in.another car…he’s laying.down..(I.panic…I have no.bags – I had been driving may be 2 weeks…and not the late night crowd- I did have a towel..in.case of any dogs….so I grab the towel put it on.the seat…while in.the back I see a Trader Joe’s bag I had some stuff in…I was like “woo hoo” now he’s on.the seat but puking outside the car..they are consoling him..his girlfriend is in..I tell her ..”you.are in charge of the bag” with a smile. The friend comes to.the front…says please take care of my friend and throws a $50 in.my.front seat. My heart! It was about 20 min drive..he did end up an out 15 mins in…throwing up in.the bag..it was cute…she was like…honey..the bag..the bag…anyway..no mess. Threw it out around the corner after dropping them. However…I do keep 2 trader Joe’s bags (you know the ones with hsndkes…99 cents) in between my front seats..barely see them. I think.the barf bags are ugly..and small…way easier to.put your whole head in the bag and puke then those…”aim for its” and only realized that once that occued:)

W. Curtis Preston

FWIW, emesis bags are purpose built for puking. They fit WAY over your mouth, and once they’re there they don’t move or gap. There’s no “aiming.” It has a hard plastic shell that wraps around your mouth. As to ugly, they’re mostly hidden in my car. You can see how I do it in the photo. No one has ever said your barf bags are ugly 😉

Tamera Noll

Glad works for you 🙂 as a PAX when I SAW THEM..I was like tuck lol. I also don’t have back seat pouch. I love my Trader bags…thick, sturdy, big. It’s all good. To each his own. Lol

FP

I’ve only been ridesharing for about 5 weeks. And this article has given me a new perspective. I’m rarely out late, and haven’t had any puke incidents, or any PAX that I thought were that close.

But I have had several people leave ground-in chocolate stains in my seats from candy bars. This would usually piss me off, require me to go to my trunk and get out wet-naps, clean my seat, and now I have a big wet spot in my back seat. Next I’m conscious about the next PAX and try to wait till the wet spot dries. And Time==Money!!

Just today, some a-hole got in my car, and must have had food I didn’t notice in a bag, let it sit on the seat, and let some type of sauce soak into my seat. I didn’t even notice which PAX did it among the 3 I had in the past few hours? It smelled of vinegar so I’m assuming it was some type of sauce. I again had to get out my wet-naps, and now there is a big wet spot there, and again I had to stop driving until it dries.

But now, after every ride, I’m going to inspect my backseat thoroughly, and not be shy about requesting cleaning fees for things that require me to go to my trunk to get supplies. Even for the minor chocolate crumbs.

W. Curtis Preston

Glad I could help! Yea, that is my policy. If I have to get out my cleaning supplies, I’m asking for a cleaning fee. I don’t care if it’s a five minute clean up or not. I’ll take lots of pics, send it off to Uber, and then clean it up. Depending on the mess, I may go offline w/Uber for a bit to emphasize I was damaged by this incident. I’d say my average chocolate clean up fee is $25. Not bad for five mins of work.

I do NOT ask for a cleaning fee for litter/clutter. For example, I have free candies in the back seat and pax often leave the wrappers. Or sometimes I’ve had them leave an empty water bottle. If I know for a fact it was a particular pax that did it, I’ll downrate them. But that doesn’t rate a cleaning fee.

Ill Will

So…half the article was about getting cleaning fees, the other half was about making sure people puke in a barf bag? Aren’t those two things at odds with each other? Basically, the message is: be vigilant about requesting cleaning fees when someone makes a mess in your car. That $1100 was just the result of a random, above-average puke rate in a given year. That’s not something other drivers can necessarily replicate.

W. Curtis Preston

I mentioned the $1100 just to show that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to cleaning fees. I have a lot of experience. I’ve had about 20 of them, only about 7 or 8 were puke.

I don’t THINK I wrote an article that said “hey, here’s how to go out and get more cleaning fees,” although one could certainly take this information and do that. I THINK what I wrote was an article that says “people might mess up your car and you need to be prepared for it, and when it happens here’s what to do.” For example, I didn’t say anything like “don’t bring barf bags cause then they won’t make as big of a mess and you’ll get a smaller cleaning fee.” Or… “give them a barf bag and then take it from them when they’re done. Wait until they leave then dump the barf on the floor.”

As to the conflicting advice, here’s the deal. 7 for 7. If you’re sick enough to need a barf bag you’re too sick to use it properly. Every. Single. One. Didn’t make it all into the bag.

If this works for you, fantastic! I stay away from drunks. If I happen to get a ride request outside of the party areas around town and the passenger is stumbling to the car or their “friends” are helping them to the car, I’m cancelling and leaving.

Buckpowers

In one year and a half, I’ve only had one, so I consider myself very lucky. I am doing the 2 am crowd in Texas. All this is good advice, particularly getting lights on the pictures.
My suggestion would be to flip on a recorder . Everybody should have on on the phone. Downloadable from appstore or google play. I see that one phone has Smart Voice Recorder, and the other one has Hi-q mp3 recorder. Saving to mp3 saves room. This should be used at the first sign of trouble. Having a recording of “blowing chunks” or discussion of “pulling over” could be invaluable in a dispute. Of course, this type of recorder could be used in other defensive instances, and for those guys/gals that have video recorders – so much the better.

Kristi Emmons

Wowww, this guy is a fucking idiot and doesn’t get the concept of rideSHARING! HAHAHAHA, I’m practically speechless! Like how is his brain working?! Ridesharing is a PRIVILEGE! Don’t get me started how little money and what a joke driving for Uber is, but no one forces these people to go out and get drunk to that point! In fact, that’s illegal, and it’s called public intoxication. That’s not the driver’s responsibility. In fact, this could be a huge liability issue! Don’t fucking tell me I shouldn’t be driving past 11, like I’m some granny! I’m young, work in the nightclub industry until 6am when I am bartending or bottle serving, am a total night owl, and I’m fun enough to hang with the night crowd, lol. When people find out I drive at night, they almost always ask about the drunks. Being my other profession, I tell them most people I get aren’t bad, but maybe that’s because I’m used to those people. However, when someone is at a point, they shouldn’t be getting in your car. I mean, c’mon, why do you think the bars kick out the people that are too drunk?!

What do you do as far as a picture goes for a photo of the cleaning/repair receipt do you leave that blank and wait to see what there assessment is ?

W. Curtis Preston

I’ve never once submitted a receipt. The cleaning fee doesn’t require one. But I think if you do get it cleaned and have a receipt, you’ll probably get the amount on the receipt; no more no less. I put it in the hands of whoever is the “puke evaluator” of the moment. They look at my pics and estimate the cost of a professional cleaning. Interestingly enough, once they noticed my rubber floor mats and vinyl car seats (vs the fabric), my average cleaning fee went down. But then again, it did get easier to clean up messes, which is the point, right?

Bryan Dominguez

The mats linked do not fit a 2016 Prius (c but no option to select).

About

I'm Harry, the owner and founder of The Rideshare Guy Blog and Podcast. I used to be a full-time engineer but now I'm a rideshare blogger! I write about my experience driving for Uber, Lyft, and other services and my goal is to help drivers earn more money by working smarter, not harder. Read More…

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